


Love on the Menu

by Deenerann



Series: Schitt's Creek- Meet Cutes Gone Slightly Wrong [4]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: David is a waiter in this one, I realize this is a stretch. Work with me., M/M, Maybe in Elmdale?, Meet-Cute, meet ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25788931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deenerann/pseuds/Deenerann
Summary: What if David got a job waiting tables, and Patrick was a customer?
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Schitt's Creek- Meet Cutes Gone Slightly Wrong [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764997
Comments: 62
Kudos: 281





	1. Chapter 1

David hadn’t been able to take his eyes off the guy all night.

It was highly inconvenient because doing that had already caused him to spill three sodas, forget a couple orders he had to go back to rehash with the patrons, and worst of all, made him fail to add tequila to a very scary looking dude’s margarita.

His night could definitely be going better, but he was fairly certain the other guy’s was even worse.

He seemed to be stuck on a date from hell.

A date with a very angry woman, so David’s fascination with him was pretty unwarranted. There was just something about the guy that caught David’s attention the minute he walked into the restaurant, and David hadn’t been able to shake him since.

Maybe it was the guy’s forearms.

They were definitely—impressive.

But they were also straight.

_Super straight, probably Target brand wearing forearms, David. Get a grip._

He shook his head and added an extra shot of tequila to a new margarita, as an apology to the biker dude who probably wanted to rip David’s head off. After more consideration, he threw in another shot, just to be safe.

He took the long way back to the scary dude, slowing down as he passed by Mr. Forearm’s table. He couldn’t help it. The guy was like a magnet, straight or not.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this again,” the woman whined, loud enough for David to hear. “What’s your excuse _this_ time?”

David glanced over just as the guy looked up. Their eyes met and held and David felt a jolt down to his toes.

The guy’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

“Excuse me,” the woman said, raising her voice and snapping her fingers at David. “Is it possible to cancel our order? Have they already started to make it?”

David broke the very confusing eye contact he had going on and looked over at the woman. She stared back at him, clearly annoyed.

“Um, I don’t know? This isn’t my table, but I’ll check for you.”

She nodded curtly, her red hair swishing around her shoulders. “Great, thanks,” she said, turning away to look out across the restaurant.

He’d been dismissed.

David let out an exasperated huff and glanced back at the guy.

He still stared at David, his expression a little shocked.

David didn’t blame him. Whatever that spark had been was definitely unexpected. He raised an eyebrow and the guy flushed an adorable pink. David cleared his throat and stared down at the drink in his hands.

Oh.

Right.

The Harley Davidson Serial Killer’s drink.

He probably should deliver it.

Like yesterday.

“Um, right. So… I’ll be back? I gotta… just….” He let the sentence die, tried to smile at the guy, and fled to find the biker.

With the very strong margarita now in the hands of the slightly mollified potential serial killer, David made his way to the kitchen.

“Hey, Tony? Have you started making table eight’s order?”

“Just finished it. It’s under the warming lamps. I thought that was Kate’s table.”

“It is. They just caught me because they wanted to cancel the order before you made it. Looks like a really bad date.”

“Ah, well… not fast enough. You want me to toss it?”

“No, don’t do that. I’ll take it to them. I’ll save Kate the potential lecture.”

Tony laughed. “For someone who hates confrontation, you sure seem to be the only one who attracts it in this place.”

“For my whole life, Tony. I’ve attracted it throughout my _entire_ life, not just here.”

Tony laughed and saluted David as he grabbed the plates. “Godspeed, Rose.”

“Thanks. I’ll probably need it.”

Kate walked in and eyed the plates in David’s hands. “Aren’t those mine?”

“Yep, and I’m saving you, so I’ll expect the tip on this one. Although I doubt there _will_ be a tip. More likely you’d have gotten stiffed, so you’re welcome.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, it’s looking a little tense out there.”

David nodded. “They wanted to cancel this before it was prepared, but alas….” He held up the plates. “You’re welcome,” he repeated.

She grinned. “Well, the guy is cute, so I don’t blame you for taking over.”

Tony hooted from the stove.

David flashed him an annoyed look. “The guy is here with a girl, so it doesn’t really matter if he’s cute, does it?”

“David! Look at you, making assumptions. Of _all_ people….” Kate chastised.

“Okay, fair,” David conceded. “Look, I need to take them their food before it gets cold. Not that they really want it.”

“Good luck,” Kate chirped, grabbing another set of plates Tony shoved under the warmer.

“Yep,” David murmured, taking a deep breath and heading back out into the restaurant.

He made his way to the table and set the plates down, offering them both an apologetic smile. “Sorry, the cook just finished making these. I figured I’d at least give you the _option_ to eat? Maybe it will help? I know I get hangry if I don’t eat something.”

The guy’s lips pulled into a frown that somehow still conveyed amusement, and he stared down at his plate before glancing up at David through his lashes. It was a warm, flirty look, and David’s stomach swooped at the simple force of it.

“Are you saying you think I’m _hangry_?” the woman snipped, her voice shrill.

David’s eyes widened and he glanced over at her, annoyed with himself for forgetting she was even there.

“Uh, no. That’s not at all what I was saying. I just thought—”

“You thought _what_ , exactly?” Her tone was harsh, a little bitchy.

“That maybe you’d want to eat?” David’s voice went a little high pitched at the end. Tony was totally right. He attracted confrontation like it was his _job_.

“Rachel, stop. It’s not his fault,” the guy interjected, his voice weary.

“Oh, I’m aware of _whose_ fault it is, Patrick,” she growled.

 _Patrick_. That was a good name. David liked that name. He sounded it out in his head. _Pa-trick_.

“Did you need something else?” the woman hissed.

David shook his head, breaking out of his Patrick-induced reverie. “Oh! Sorry, no. Enjoy your—um—dinner?”

He smiled brightly and she glared back at him, her eyes icy.

He was definitely not getting a tip.

Turning back to Patrick, David raised his eyebrows and tried to offer him a small, supportive smile. “I’m just gonna… go now,” he whispered, and fled back into the kitchen.

Raised, frustrated voices followed his retreating form.

The doors to the kitchen flapped shut behind him and he leaned against the wall, trying to slow down his heartbeat.

What the fuck was _that_?

***

What the fuck was _that_?

Patrick could feel his ears burning and hoped Rachel thought it was because of her and not because of some random, extremely gorgeous waiter who made his insides light up like Christmas.

God, he’d never had such a gut-punch reaction to someone in his _entire life_.

The minute they walked into the restaurant and he’d laid his eyes on that tall, dark, beautiful man—it was like he couldn’t look away. His gaze followed him everywhere as he flitted around the tables, smiling at people, and looking embarrassed and contrite at the many mistakes he seemed to be making.

They just made him cuter, honestly.

Whatever mistake he made with a really large, extremely scary looking dude's order was concerning for a bit, but seemed to be under control now. For a second, Patrick had a really strong urge to stand up and intervene, which undoubtedly would have ended in disaster.

The biker dude was _huge_. Even larger than the waiter, who was at least a few inches taller than Patrick.

A few lean, stylish, and very pretty inches.

Patrick had never been so acutely aware of a height difference in his life. He wanted to explore what that would be like—being the shorter one in a relationship.

 _Relationship_? What the fuck?

Patrick didn’t even know his _name_.

Still, he wanted it to be _him_ sitting across the table at this restaurant, not Rachel. He wanted to have a nice, romantic dinner with a hot, extremely sexy waiter whose name he didn’t even know.

He blinked down at his plate and tried to unpack what all of _that_ probably meant.

He took a deep breath.

_Now or never, Brewer._

Glancing up, he took in Rachel’s angry face—the familiar, annoyed look not breaking his resolve like it normally would.

“Rachel, I just don’t think this relationship is working anymore. I think it’s time for us to end it for goo—”

He barely registered her angry screech as cold liquid splashed across his face and chest, shocking him into silence.

***

The sudden rise of voices and angry, surprised shouts roused David from his miniature anxiety attack in the kitchen. He glanced up at Tony, who raised his eyebrows and huffed out a laugh.

“What’d you do _now_ , Rose?”

“ _Me_? Why do you assume I had anything to do with whatever is happening out there?”

“Why are you hiding in here?” Tony asked.

Which, fair.

David sighed. “I think there’s a lover’s spat currently in progress. Nothing to do with me. I just delivered their food. She was _very_ snippy.”

“Mmhmm,” laughed Tony. “What was Kate saying about the guy being cute?”

“Shut up! I can’t help how he looks!”

Peering out the circular cutout of the door, he was just in time to see the redhead storm out of the restaurant, slamming the door behind her. Patrick didn’t appear to follow, so either he already left, or he was still in the restaurant. David sucked in a long breath and turned back to Tony.

“I’m just gonna—” he pointed to the dining room.

Tony smiled and nodded. “Go get him, Tiger,” he teased.

“Ugh!” David growled, slamming through the door.

Patrick still sat at the table, his head in his hands.

David slowed down, suddenly feeling very… soft. That was unexpected. Soft and concerned, and he really just wanted to make everything better.

He cautiously walked to the table and sat down across from Patrick, where his date had been previously. It was only then that he noticed the liquid dripping off of Patrick’s hair and face, onto the table and the white fabric of his button-up, which was now nearly translucent where it lay, plastered to his chest.

His very muscular, mouth-watering chest.

David stared for a second in rapt silence and then shook his head, clearing his throat.

Patrick’s head snapped up and he stared over the table at David, his expression intent and his eyes very, very loud. They were screaming something David was pretty certain he couldn’t possibly be hearing correctly.

He cleared his throat again and handed Patrick a folded napkin that escaped the carnage. “Um… you look like you could use this,” he said, keeping his voice as soft as he could.

Patrick’s eyes tracked down to the napkin and he smiled faintly, reaching out to grab it. “Thanks.”

Their fingers brushed and David gasped at the contact. Like a lovesick idiot. He gasped like a lovesick idiot. What was even going on with him?

Patrick didn’t seem put off by it. In fact, his eyes darkened and he hesitated a minute before he pulled away, rubbing his face and hair with the napkin. When he looked up again, his face was pink and his hair stood up in curly, wayward spikes. He was adorable.

David grinned. “I don’t know if your look for the night survived that vodka tonic bath.”

Patrick sighed and shrugged. “Could have been worse. She could have ordered something brightly colored and sticky.”

“That’s true,” David agreed. He watched Patrick a minute and smiled, holding out his hand. “David.”

Patrick reached out and shook it, lingering a minute before letting go. “Patrick.”

The residual warmth from the contact burned up David’s arm. “Hi, Patrick. So, bad date?”

Patrick threw his head back and laughed. “You could say that, yes.”

“Will there be another one?”

The smile fell off Patrick’s lips and his eyes got very intent as his gaze roamed over David’s face and down his body. They snapped back up to David's face and lingered on his mouth before finally focusing back on his eyes.

David felt the journey like an electric charge.

“No. This was definitely the end of the road for us.”

David nodded, far more pleased about a stranger’s relationship detonation than he should have been. “Oh, well... I’m sorry?”

He probably shouldn’t have phrased it as a question.

Patrick smiled, wide and open. He looked… fond. David could get used to being smiled at like that.

“I’m not,” Patrick said, simply.

David cheeks heated up. “Oh.”

Patrick nodded. “Yeah, so… this is probably really awful timing, but… do you think maybe you’d want to have dinner with me?”

David grinned, his insides lighting up, but then he bit his lip, trying to suppress it. “Um, I still have a couple hours left of my shift.”

Patrick nodded and gestured to his body. “Well, that’s fortunate because I probably should go take a shower and change. Can I—can I come pick you up once you’re off work?”

David chewed on his lip, considering his options, then glanced back down to that very delicious chest that was currently visible through see-through, wet cotton.

Oh, who was he kidding?

“Definitely. Yes,” he agreed nodding. “I get off at nine.”

Patrick smiled that fond smile at him again, his eyes soft. “Then I’ll be back here about ten minutes before nine.” He stood and set the napkin down carefully, pulling out his wallet. “Um, I should pay for this first, though.”

David shook his head. “You didn’t get to eat any of it.”

“Well, still.”

David glanced back at the kitchen. Tony would understand. “Nope. You had very bad experience. We couldn’t possibly charge you. Just leave us a nice review.”

Patrick grinned and put his wallet back in his pocket. “Oh, I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem,” he purred.

David’s heartbeat sped up and he sucked in a surprised breath.

 _Goddamn_.

With that, Patrick winked and turned to head toward the front door. “I’ll see you later, David,” he called back to him, his voice a promise.

David sat there for a moment longer, trying to compose himself, grinning. He glanced over at Kate, who stood behind the bar, clapping softly.

David laughed, his face going hotter, and glanced at the clock.

The next couple hours of waiting were going to be torture.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick and David's date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, fine. You all are monsters. Absolute monsters! 
> 
> EVERY SINGLE COMMENT I got on this (intended) one shot asked me to continue it, so here we are.
> 
> This is NOT going to be another Walk of Shame situation, but I thought I could at least write the date, so here you go. 
> 
> I hope it meets expectations!

Two hours passed by with agonizing slowness, but at least David wasn’t as distracted as he had been with Patrick sitting in the restaurant. He managed to get through the rest of his shift with barely any mistakes, anyway. After the night he’d had, he’d take that as a win.

Even the terrifying biker left him a decent tip.

The copious amount of tequila he got probably helped with that, though.

David took off of the last thirty minutes of his shift to get changed and try to do something with his hair. Kate was nice enough to let him, so he definitely was going to have to cover one of her shifts later in the week. It was probably the rising hysteria in his expression when he thought about Patrick showing up ten minutes early that finally convinced her.

He wanted to look good.

He did _not_ look good in his uniform of boring black slacks and a white button up.

Thank god he never forgot his bag of extra clothes.

He dropped a quick, grateful kiss to the top of Kate’s head and ran to the staff bathroom to get ready.

Honestly, he probably smelled like a whole smorgasbord of fried food, which was unfortunate. A shower would do him good, but that wasn’t in the cards. He’d have to make do with what he had available—a very nice Givenchy sweater, black skinny jeans, and a small bottle of cedar cologne.

He quickly changed, spritzed himself with a light mist of some far away forest, and spent a few minutes trying to appease the hair gods to get his wayward curls under control.

There was a light knock on the door.

“David, he’s here,” Kate called quietly. “You ready?”

David opened the door and peered out at her. “How do I look?” he whispered, a little worried.

She eyed him slowly up and down. “Pretty hot, actually. He won’t know what hit him.”

“He just saw me a couple hours ago. I think he knows what to expect.”

“Mm, I beg to differ,” said Kate, smiling. “You’re on another level right now.”

David preened and smoothed down the front of his sweater. “Well, thank you.”

She nodded. “He looks very nervous. Also, he dressed up for you.”

“He was dressed up before. Sort of. In an accountant sort of way.”

“Well, he looks very cute right now, so go have fun.”

He nodded. “Thanks.” He grabbed his bag, took a deep breath, and wound his way through the kitchen and out into the dining room.

Patrick stood by the register, looking around the restaurant, his hands shoved in the pockets of a pair of— _oh wow_ —very tight, very flattering jeans. He’d paired them with a soft-looking blue Henley, and David’s mouth went a little dry at the body highlighted under all that tight fabric.

He stuttered to a stop just as Patrick glanced up, and their gazes collided and held. Patrick’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open before he blinked and schooled his expression, a small, shy smile overtaking his face.

David chewed on his cheek and tried not to grin like an idiot.

He was so fucked.

***

He was so fucked.

Patrick stared at David and did his best not to whimper out loud like some kind of freak.

It’s just that—well, David was fucking _gorgeous_.

He’d been beautiful in his waiter’s uniform, but now? Well now he was so far out of Patrick’s league that he was honestly worried he’d been a little too confident earlier.

Dressed head to toe in black, David’s clothes were obviously expensive and clung to his body in all the right places. He had rips in the knees of his jeans where olive skin peeked out, and Patrick wanted to touch them.

He wanted to touch his _knees_. That wasn’t normal, right? That couldn’t be normal.

Yet, here he was, waxing poetic and having fantasies about another man’s knees.

David watched him, a lopsided, barely-there smile on his face, almost like he was trying to chew it into submission. He ducked his head and walked toward Patrick, the smile blooming shyly when he reached him.

“Hi. You look very nice.”

His voice was soft and warm, and Patrick shivered at the sound.

“Hi. Thank you. So do you.”

David’s smile was still shy, but the expression in his eyes was more confident. “So, where are we headed?”

“Um, well, you’ve been stuck in a restaurant all night, so I thought maybe you’d want a change of scenery?”

He really, really hoped he hadn’t misjudged that.

David’s expression twisted into a mixture of wary and suspicious, highlighted with a bit of horror. “Um, okay?” he whispered.

Patrick winced. Maybe he _did_ misjudge, but he forged on. “How do you feel about tacos?”

David’s smiled started to make an appearance again, small dimples appearing in his cheeks. Patrick had the sudden urge to lean in and lick them.

“Um, I am pro-taco, generally.”

“Well, good, because I know a place that has the best ones in town.”

“But, not a restaurant?” David sounded confused.

Patrick shook his head. “Nope. Not exactly.”

David’s eyes narrowed but he nodded slowly. “O-ohkay… but I need to drop my bag off at my car, first.”

Patrick nodded and moved to the front door, opening it for David and motioning with his head. “After you.”

They made their way out the door and Patrick followed David to and older model sedan. The only thing about the car Patrick could match to David was the fact that it was a sleek black—otherwise it was not something he’d have ever imagined David driving.

David glanced at him and must have seen something in his expression because he grimaced and shrugged. “It’s a family car. We share it.”

“Oh. And by family…?”

David arched one perfect eyebrow. “My parents and my sister. I’m not—I mean—obviously if I’m here with you I don’t have some kind of secret family waiting for me at home.”

Patrick blushed and looked down. “Yeah, of course not. Sorry, I don’t know why I even asked that.”

David waved an arm. “Don’t worry about it.” He opened the car door and threw his bag inside, quickly shutting and locking it. “Now I believe you promised me tacos?”

“I did.” Patrick motioned down the block. “My car is over there.”

He glanced over at David as they walked down the block and cleared his throat. “So, I wanted to let you know I don’t normally flirt with waiters while I’m out to dinner with someone else….”

David laughed. “Oh, and here I thought I was just another in a long line of service staff you’ve hit on while out on dates.”

Patrick chuckled, his face heating up. “No, no. I can safely say you are definitely the first.”

“Mmm, so what made me special?”

“Are you kidding? Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

David made a small noise and Patrick hazarded a quick look at him. He was still smiling slightly, his lips quirked to one side, but he looked—well, uncomfortable.

Patrick leaned over and bumped his shoulder against David’s. “Hey, that was a compliment.”

David glanced at him and huffed out a small laugh. “Oh, um—yeah, I gathered.”

“You don’t look very pleased about being told you’re hot.”

David’s eyebrow’s raised. “Oh, so now I’m _hot_?”

They reached Patrick’s car and he stopped to unlock it and open the passenger door. As David folded his long body into the seat, Patrick murmured, “You’ve been hot since the second I laid eyes on you, David.”

David’s eyes widened, and Patrick smiled at him as innocently as he could before he shut the door.

Tonight was definitely looking up.

***

Tonight was definitely looking up.

David shut his mouth and focused on breathing as Patrick walked around the front of the car to the driver’s side. David watched him, marveling at the way his ass looked in those tight jeans. It was unfair, really, how good he made basic mid-range denim look. It shouldn’t be a thing, but it was.

Patrick hopped in the car and grinned over at David, his smile so large it was almost frightening. “So, we ready to do this?”

David sat back against the door, slightly taken aback at the enthusiasm directed his way. “Um, what are we doing, exactly?” David couldn’t keep his voice from getting high pitched.

“Tacos, David!”

“Are these… _special_ … tacos? I feel like maybe you’re taking me to the inside of a VW van. Or a rusty RV hidden on someone’s back forty. Is this a Walter White situation?”

Patrick giggled. “You’re not too far off with the VW comment, but I promise there are no meth labs involved.”

“But there _are_ vans involved?! Are we having dirty sock tacos?”

Maybe the night _wasn’t_ looking up after all.

“No, no. _Thursday_ is sock night. We just missed it.”

David snorted and raised his hand to his mouth in surprise. He just _snorted_! He couldn’t remember the last time he did that.

“David, did you just snort?” Patrick asked, his tone teasing.

“I honestly don’t know what you’re referring to,” David said, looking out the window, suddenly mortified.

“Hey, if you don’t like it, we can go somewhere else, but I promise the food is great. Give it a chance?”

Patrick’s voice was so earnest that David glanced over, almost ashamed he was being so difficult. But, honestly, Patrick probably should see it now, before David found himself getting too attached.

He could _see_ himself getting attached. Which was ridiculous because literally the only thing he knew about the guy was that he had been on a disastrous date with a woman just a few hours ago.

Patrick’s eyes were large, his expression open and unguarded, and David sucked in a breath. This could be very, very bad. He needed to sort out some things first.

“Sooo… about your date tonight. Before… um… before me. What was that about?”

Patrick’s open expression shuttered for a second and he looked pained. “Um, can we talk about that while we’re eating? I think it’s a conversation best had if we’re not starving.”

David nodded, a little worried by that answer, but willing to hear Patrick out. Plus, he really _was_ starving.

“Okay. So… difficult conversations and weed-infused, dirty van tacos down by the river. Noted. This is definitely a scenario I have not lived through before. And I’ve been on some pretty… questionable dates.”

It was Patrick’s turn to snort. “I promise there’s no weed in the tacos.”

“Maybe there should be,” muttered David.

Patrick reached over, his movement tentative, before his hand rested on David’s leg, right above rip in his jeans. His index finger lightly rubbed against the visible skin of his knee, almost like he couldn’t help it, and David stopped breathing—his nerves lighting up from the barely there touch.

Patrick’s voice was hesitant. “We can go to a restaurant somewhere, if you’d rather do that?”

David swallowed and shook his head. “No.” His voice came out breathy and strangled, and he cleared his throat. “No. Let’s do what you had planned. I mean, I’ve eaten trash pizza, so who am I to judge hippy tacos?”

Patrick squeezed David’s leg and let go, starting up the car. David felt the loss of contact far more acutely than he should have.

“Okay, let’s get going. You’re going to love this place, David. And this date. I promise.”

That’s what David was afraid of, honestly.

He could see himself liking this guy so much.

***

He could see himself liking this guy so much.

Patrick stared at David from across the picnic table, smiling as David’s eyes rolled back in his head.

“Oh my god, Patrick, this is the best taco I’ve ever had. I take it back, dirty van tacos are the best thing ever,” David moaned around the bite.

The sound went straight to Patrick’s dick.

 _Whoa_.

Patrick blinked and cleared his throat. “Um, I’m glad you like it. But it's a food truck, David.”

David grinned and nodded. “I’m gonna need a few more of these, though.”

“Get as many as you want, David. The night is still young.”

David raised his eyebrows. “Well, _that’s_ very encouraging.”

Patrick’s face heated up. “Yes, well….”

He didn’t know what else to say.

David must have taken pity on him because he set his taco down and rested his chin on his hands, watching him. “So….”

“So?”

“So, while the night is still young, you wanna tell me about your earlier date? We have food now. I'm prepared.”

Patrick sighed. “Yeah. So, that was my ex.”

“I gathered. Freshly-brewed ex, it seems.”

Patrick nodded. “Very fresh. It’s probably going to be messy with her for a bit.”

David cocked his head to the side, studying him. “Mmm. Why’d you break up with her?”

“Bold of you to assume. She could have broken up with me.”

David shook his head. “Nope. She was way too pissed about it.”

“Valid point. Okay, yeah, I broke up with her.”

“Why? She was cute. I mean, a bit of a nightmare to service professionals, obviously, but cute.”

“Mmm, she was cute, but apparently not really my type.”

“Ah, and what’s your type?”

“Honestly? I think I’m looking at him.”

David blushed. “Well, that was very smooth. It’s almost like you’re angling for this night to end well.”

“I mean, a guy can dream. Wanna let me know how I'm doing?”

“Buy me a couple more of these tacos and I’d say the odds are ever in your favor.”

Patrick couldn’t stop the smile from breaking across his face if he tried. “I’ll buy you as many tacos as you want if it means I get to kiss you at the end of this date.”

David’s eyes widened but he chuckled, his voice a growl. “Oh, _those_ odds are _very_ favorable.”

Patrick tried not to die on the spot.

“Fuck.”

David’s teeth were a flash of white against his olive skin as he bit back a grin. “Well, it’s a little early for _that_. I’d like to get to know you better first.”

Patrick’s mouth dropped open and he closed his eyes, trying to shove down the mental images that crowded into his brain. It was _definitely_ too soon for any of that.

A shift in the energy around him caused him to open his eyes.

David leaned forward over the table, his face just inches from Patrick’s. He just caught of glimpse of dark brown, twinkling eyes and a lopsided smile before David was reaching forward and bracketing the back of his head with one large, ring-clad hand. Patrick could feel the cool of the metal against his skin, and the contact made his nerves go haywire. He opened his mouth in a small gasp and David leaned forward more.

His voice was a whisper against Patrick’s lips. “Don’t really want to wait ‘til the end of the date, though.”

Then his lips were on Patrick’s, soft and warm.

It was a chaste, quick kiss, but it burned through Patrick like wildfire. Even the most passionate of kisses with Rachel never affected him like this. He gripped the table and did his best not to reach across and haul David back over it.

Something of that thought must have registered across his face because David watched him, his smile growing and turning a little dangerous.

“Oh, we have plenty of time for that,” he murmured.

Patrick flushed hotter.

 _God_.

“So, a second date is looking promising?” he asked, holding his breath.

David’s grin turned sweet, a little surprised. “Um, definitely. More than just a second one, I think.”

The spectators inside Patrick’s brain cheered like he just hit a home run. Maybe he had.

“David?”

“Yes?” His voice was breathy and it _did_ things to Patrick.

“I’m really glad I decided to eat in your restaurant tonight.”

David laughed, throwing his head back. It was a gorgeous sight.

“Me too, Patrick. Me too.”


End file.
